Motor-vehicle.



ITO-736,176. I

110 Roman;

H. VANDERBEEK.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APQLIOATIQN FILED 00127. 1899.

a snmrrss-slimn 1.

I Inventor.

PATENTED AUG. 11, 1 903.

No. 736,176. H PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903, H. VANDERBEEK.

I MOTOR .VBHIOL'B.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 27, 1899.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 736,176.. PATENTED AUG.11,1'903.

' H.'VANDERBEEK. MOTOR VEHICLE. V

APPIJOATION TILED OOTJ 27. 1899.

no monsi. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

PAT NT Patented August 11 19303.

FFICE.

HERRERTVAND RBEEK, or HARTFORD, ooNNEoTwUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO MoRToN TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

I MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o 7 36, 176, dated August1 1, 1 903.

Application filed October 27, 1899 Serial No. 734,929- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT VANDERBEEK,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hartford, countyof Hartford, State of vices or mechanisms referred to as shall pre ventthe shifting of the speed-changing mechanism or the reversing of thevehicle except when the motor is disconnected from the driving mechanismand shall insure the disconnection of the driving mechanism when thebrake is applied.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which the several features of theinvention are illustrated, and in which Figure-1 is a side elevation ofa motor-vehicle equipped with a convenient and practical form of thecontrolling and operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a partial view of themotor-vehicle shown in Fig. 1, but on a larger scale, sofas to showtheconstruction more clearly, the body of the vehicle being partly brokenoff, so as to save space. Fig. 3 is a detail view in front elevation,showing the re lation of the handdevers and the interlocking devices.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the interlocking devices, with the hand-leversin section. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the yokehereinafter referred to, with some of its adjuncts. Fig. 6 is a partialplan view ofsome of the controlling and actuating devices, with thedriving-gear in sectional plan. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of someofthe parts shown in Fig. (5.

In order that the relation of the brakeop-- crating devices'to thedevices for controlling the motor or the connection thereof to the odrivin -wheels ma be understood, reference will first be made to theparticular form of brake-actuating devices shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6, and7, although it will be obvious that any suitable form. ofbrake-actuating devices and of brake may be substituted for thearrangement shown. As represented particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, a brakelever 01' pedal A is suitably supported upon the body of the vehicle,being shown as secured to a short sleeve a, mounted loosely on a shortshaft B, carried in suitable bearings. The lever A is connected bya linka with an arm a on a transverse shaft A, which is in-' terposed merelyfor conveniencein the application of separate brakes on opposite sidesof the vehicle. Other arms a on the shaft A are connected by links awith the brake operating bell-crank levers A The construction of thebrakes is not material to the present invention; but, as shown in thedrawings, each bell-crank A is mounted upon one free end of the brakestrap or band A and is connected by a link 0, with the other free end ofsaid band, so that a movement of the bellcrank tightens the brake-bandupon a brakedrum A which may be secured to the hub of the adjacentdriving-wheel of the vehicle.

The short shaft 13, above referred to, has fixed thereto theclutch-operating lever or pedal B,Which is adapted to be operated bythepressure of the foot thereon through connections such as are describedhereinafter to open or close the clutch, which is interposed be tweenthe motor and the driving-shaft of the vehicle. Asindicated hereinbefore.thebrake* actuating devices are so related to the mechanism forcontrolling the motor orits connection to the driving-shaft that theapplication of the brake shall of itself release the clutch, whereby thedisengagement of themotor shall be effected in all cases before or assoon as the brake is applied. establish such a relation that theclutch-controlling devices can be operated without setting the brake. Asa convenient means of establishing such relation the sleeve a of thebrake-lever A is mounted, as already described, upon the clutch-shaft B,and an arm I) on the latter is so disposed with relation to thebrake-lever A that the movement of the It is also desirable to r uponshaft B to permit a limited movement of said lever A before it engagesthe arm B in order to effect the proper movement of the brakingmechanism with respect to the clutching mechanism. A spring a may beapplied to the lever A to restore the same after operation, and a springI) may be connected either directly or indirectly to restore theclutch-- lever B and the parts operated thereby to initial positionafter operation or release.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings, which are intended toillustrate a device suitable for the purpose, the clutch-lever B isconnected by a link 6 with an arm 0, fixed for con venience to a sleeve0, mounted loosely on the shaft A, above referred to. Said sleevecarries a pinion 0, adapted for engagement with either side of a doubleor mangle rack or yoke D to impart theretoa vertical movement in onedirection or the other, according to the engagement of the pinion withthe yoke, it being understood that the partial rotation of p the pinionis effected through some such connections as those already described bythe movement of the clutch-lever B. It will be observed that the platewhich carries the two racks of the yoke D is slotted, as at d, to travelon the sleeve 0, fitting the same closely at its two end portions, butbeing'wide enough at its middle portion only to permit of a sufficientlateral movement of the yoke to disengage one rack from the pinion andto engage the other therewith, the pinion being between the two relativepositions just indicated in engagement with both racks, so that whilethat relation obtains there can be no movement of the yoke or shil'tablepart of the connections vertically in either direction, the parts inconnection with the yoke or shiftable part being thereby held or lockedin their intermediate positions. To effect the lateral movement of theyoke D for ,the purpose of effecting the engagement of one rack or theother with the pinion 0, according to the direction of movement desired,a hand-lever E may be provided and connected with the yoke by a-link e,which straddles the sleeve 0, the free vertical movement of the yokebeing permitted through a pinand-slot connection, (indicated at e.) Itwill be observed that through the formation of the slot (1, whichengages the sleeve 0, no lateral movement of the yoke, and consequentlyno movement of the lever E, can take place except when the yoke is inits middle posit-ion, considered with reference to its verticalmovement, and when the parts connected therewith are in their middleposition or, more especially, when the clutch which is operated by themovement of the yoke is opened, and that at such time the clutch is heldsecurely object in View in effecting such a relation between the partsis to prevent a possibility of shifting the speed-changing or reversinggear except when the clutchis open, as will appear more clearlyhereinafter. Furthermore, it will be seen that the use of the shiftablemember D, which is a modified form of manglerack, secures aninterlocking of the controlling mechanism, which has marked advantages.It provides for securely holding the interengaged members without theuse of small parts-such as cams, trips, or keys which in othermechanisms constantly wear and frequently become dislocated and fail toact, so that the entire mechanism becomes useless.

The connection from the yoke D to the backing-off and going-aheadclutches-that is, to the direction or reversing mechanism whichdetermines the direction of movemanner. As shown in the drawings, (seeparticularly Figs. 1, 2, and 6,) the yoke is connected to one arm of abell-crank lever F, to the other arm of which is connected by a link f aslide F, having a double cam-slot f. Since the clutches or clutchmembers in the particular construction under consideration are intendedto provide for a reversal of the vehicle, one being a going-ahead clutchand the other a backing-clutch and both powerclutches, separateclutch-rods F are provided for the several clutches or clutch members,each of which is of ordinary construction, as indicated at F in Fig.6,where the two clutches are shown at opposite ends of the shaft, and

need not be further described herein. In the middle position of the yokeD neither of the clutch members is in operative engagement; but amovement of the yoke vertically in one way or the other brings thecorresponding clutch member into engagement for going ahead or backing,as may be desired.

As above indicated, the speed-changing mechanism is interlocked with theclutch-controlling mechanism, so that the speed-changing gear cannot beshifted except when the clutch is open. The devices for controlling thespeed-changing gear and the speed-changing gear itself may beconstructed and arranged in any convenient manner. As.represented in thedrawings, (see particularly Figs. 1, 2,-and 6,) a hand-lever G ismounted on the body of the vehicle in proximity to the yoke-lever E andis connected by link 9 with a rack G. The latter through a donble piniong shifts the rack-toothed drivingshaft H, which is longitudinallymovable, so as to bringa key hthereon into engagement with one oranother of the concentric driving-pinions H, which mesh withcorresponding driving-gears H on the main shaft or axle K. Through theoperation, therefore, of the reciprocating members F and G the clutchingand speed-changing devices are actuated; but, as will now be explained,in-

'mentmay be efiected in any convenient ICC veeave devices and thedevices for controlling the speed-changing gear is conveniently effectedthrough the proximity of the levers E and G, it being remembered thatthe lever E is always in a determined positionintermediate between theextremes of its throw when the clutch is open. Accordingly the twolevers pass through a slotted guide-plate L, and between them is mounteda latch or pivoted locking-plate L, which is pressed normally ,towardthe lever E by a spring Z.

' On the side adjacent to the leverE the latch L is provided with anotch Z, which is so located as to register with the lever E when thelatter is in its intermediate position, whereby the latch.

is then drawn over by the spring Z. On the other side the latch isprovided with notches 1 which correspondto the three positions of g thespeed-changing lever G. It will now be evidentthatwhen the leverE is inits intermediate position--that is to say, when the clutch is opene-thelatch -L" releases the lever G, so that it can be shifted to any desiredposition,

but that when the lever E is in its forward position, closing the clutchfor going ahead,

or in its rearward position, closing the clutch for backing, the latch Lis held over toward the lever G, so that the latter cannot be moved. Itwill also be observed that the lever E forms what may properly becalleda selective means for determining in What position the severalmechanisms will be used. The position of this lever not only. determinesthe di- I rection of the vehicle, but also looks the driving mechanismfor the selected speed, for the hand-lever G,which operates thespeed-changinggear, is always looked in one of its several positionswhenever the selective mechanism E is'moved out of its normal position-midway of the extremes of its throw. Furthermore, it will be evidentthat the speedchauging gear must be in one of its several operativepositions, as distinguished from a condition of change, before the leverE can be moved into itsgo-ahead or reverse position 5- I sary to bedescribed, with'the steering-wheels.

be made in construction and arrangement, ac-

It will be obvious that various changes can cording to the requirementsof the particular use for which the vehicle is intended,withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Thus if the drivingmechanism of the vehicle were arranged to give different speeds forgoingahead, but only one speed for backing,

considerable simplification of the controlling and actuating devicesmight be effected, although theywould still be so related as toaccomplish the general results in view. Furthermore, should the vehiclebe manipulated by a very careful and skilled driver the in- I terlockingmechanism of the clutchand speedchanging gear. might be dispensed withif it should be considered desirable to further simplify theconnections. Such modification, however, would still include the primefeatures of releasing the clutch when setting the brake and so disposingthe controlling and guiding levers or handles that no foot or hand ofthe driver will have more than one lever or handle to manage. Othermodifications, an obvious reversal of the relation of some of thecoacting parts, as well as substitutions of equivalent mechanicaldevices, will also suggest themselves.

I claim as my invention 1. In a motor-vehicle, the combination withpower-transmitting devices, of controlling mechanism therefor, saidcontrolling mechanism including a mangle-rack with oppositelydisposedteeth, a coacting gear, means to hold said gear in engagement with theteeth on one side or the other of said rack except when said gear is inits middle position and means for effecting engagement of said gear withthe teeth on one side or the other of the rack when said gear is in itsmiddle position.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with powertransmitting devices,of controlling mechanism therefor, said controlling mechanism includinga mangle-rack supported for reciprocating and transverse movement, acoacting gear and a plate mounted in operative relation with said rackand provided with an offset opening in operative relation with saidgear, whereby a transverse movement of the rack must accompany acomplete reciprocation thereof. I

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination withpower-transmittingdevices,controlling mechanism therefor, saidcontrolling mechanism including operating connections, a shiftableactuating member supported with relation to the operating connectionsfor reciprocating movement and a transverse movement between the limitsof its reciprocating move-' ment, and means whereby a transverse movement thereof must accompany'a complete reciprocation thereof.

4. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with powertransmitting devices,of controlling mechanism therefor, said controlling mechanism includinga rotary member, with a reciprocating member adapted for operativeengagement with the rotary member, and means for eifecting relativetransverse movement of anism including a reciprocating-memberga rotarymember adapted for operative engagement with said reciprocating memberand for locking engagement therewith, means for reciprocating thefirst-named member, and

, means for effecting relative transverse movement of said members tounlock the same.

6. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of go-ahead and reversingmechanisms, actuating devices for said mechanisms, selective means todetermine the connections of said mechanisms with said actuatingdevices, and

a handle independent of said selective means and intermediate devices tocontrol the movement of said selective means.

7. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of go-ahead and reversingmechanisms, actuating devices or connections for each of saidmechanisms, a common lever for operating said devices andindependently-operable selective means interposed between said leverrocating member and the speed-varying mechanism, whereby saidspeed-varying mechanism cannot be shifted except the lever be returnedto its initial or middle position.

9. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of speed-varying mechanism, andvehicle-controlling mechanism, said mechanisms includ ing a plurality ofreciprocating members, means for moving any of the reciprocatingmembers, interlocking means whereby only' one of said reciprocatingmembers can be moved at a time, and shifting connections be tween one ofsaid reciprocating members and the speed-varying mechanism.

10. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of speed-varying mechanism, andvehicle-controlling mechanism, said mechanisms including a plurality ofreciprocating members, and

interconnecting means between the reciprocating members whereby uponmovement of one of said reciprocating members the others are lockedagainst movement.

11. In a control-ling system for motor-vehicles, a plurality ofreciprocating members, driving connections controlled by saidreciprocating members, and interlocking meansintermediate saidreciprocating members whereby the movement of any of the reciprocatingmembers locks the other members from movement.

12. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of speed-controlling mechanism,a handle and connections for said speed-controlling mechanism, go-aheadand reversing mechanisms, actuating devices for said last-namedmechanisms, selective means for determining the connection of saidlast-named mechanisms with said actuating devices, and interlockingdevices between said selective means and the handle and connections forthe speed-controlling mechanism.

13. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, brake mechanism andinterlocking connections between said clutch-operating mechanism andsaid brake mechanism, said interlocking connections operative in onedirection only.

14. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, brake mechanism andconnections between said mechanisms whereby the former is actuatedsimultaneously with the latter and the latter is not operated by theactuation of the former.

15. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of power-disconnecting means,braking means, actuating mechanism for each of said means, andconnections whereby one of said means is actuated upon a predeterminedmovement of the actuating mechanism of the other.

16. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, brakeactuating mechanism,and connections carried by the brake-actuating mechanism and havingapositive engagement with the clutch operating mechanism in one directionof movement to effect the simultaneous movement of the clutch-operatingmechanism with the brake-actuating mechanism, such clutchoperatingmechanism being free for movement independently of the brake-actuatingmechanism.

17. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, speedchanging gear,mechanism for actuating said speed-changing gear and interlockingconnections between said mechanisms whereby the movement of onemechanism is dependent upon the movement of the other mechanism.

18. In a motor-vehicle, speed-varying mechanism power-disconnectingmechanism and interlocking means between said speed-varywhereby thespeed-varying mechanism cannot be actuated except upon the disconnectingof the power.

19. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the driving wheels, clutch-operating mechanism, speedchangingmechanism between the motor and the driving-wheels, reversing mechanism,actuating devices for the several mechanisms and connections inoperative relation with said clutch, whereby said several mechanisms arelocked against movement except when the clutch is open. v

20. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, speedchangingmechanism, brake mechanism, connections between the brake mechanism andthe clutch-operating mechanism to efiect siing and power-disconnectingmechanism multaneous movement of the latter with the former, andinterlocking connections between the clutch operating mechanism and thespeed-changing mechanism to lock the latter against movement when theclutch is closed.

21. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of power clutch mechanism, speed-changing and reversing mechanism, brake mechanism, means for operatingsaid mechanisms including two pedal-levers, and interlocking meansbetween the power-clutch-operating mechanism and the brake-operatinglever, substantially as described.

22. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the driving wheels, clutch-operating mechanism including a lever,brake mechanism including a lever, speed-changing mechanism, andinterconnected mechanism between said levers, substantially asdescribed.

23. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, means for operating said clutch includinga pedal,brake mechanism adapted to retard the movement of the vehicle, means foroperating said mechanism including a pedal, and interlocking mechanismbetween said pedals operative only when said brakepedal is moved,substantially as described.

24. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of brake mechanism, apower-clutch and speedoperating connections and the speed-changingconnection, substantially as shown and described.

25. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of brake mechanism, reversingmechanism and speed-changing gear, separate operating 1evers or handlesand connections for each of said mechanisms and gear-interlockingdevices between the brake-operating connections and thereversing-mechanism connections, and interlockingconnections between thereversing-mechanism connections and the speed-changing connections,substantially as shown and described.

26. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of powerand reversingiclutches,an operating lever or handle, and connections for bringing one or theother of said clutches into operation, said connections including ashiftable part to determine the operation of one or the other of saidclutches and preventing movement of said connections in one position,and a lever or handle and connections to control said shit tablepart,substantially as shown and described.

27. In a motor vehicle, a power-driven shaft, two connecting anddisconnecting devices between the motor and said shaft, means anddisconnecting means in engagement with said shaft while the other 15 outof engagement with said shaft, speed-varying mechanism, and interlockingconnections between said speed-varying mechanism and said connecting anddisconnecting means.

In a motor-vehicle, the combination of power. and reversing clutches, anoperating lever or handle and connections for bringing one or the otherof said clutches into operation, said connections including a shiftablepart to determine the operation of one orthe other of said clutches, alever or handle to control said shiftable part, speed-changing gear, alever or handle and connections to operate said speed-changing gear, andinterlocking devices between the two last-named levers or handles,substantially as shown and described.

29. In a motor-vehicle, the-combination of a power-clutch, reversingmechanism, speedchanging gear and brake mechanism, two pedal-levers andtwo hand-levers connected severally with said mechanisms and gear tooperate the same, interlocking devices between said hand-levers, andinterlocking devices between the reversing hand-lever and thepower-clutch-controlling pedal, substantially as shown and described.

30. In a motor-vehicle,the combination with reversing mechanism, andspeed-changing gear, of operating-levers for said mechanism and gearrespectively, said levers being located in proximity to each other, andinterlocking devices between said levers, substantially as shown anddescribed.

- 3 i. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a double clutch andreversing-gear between the motor and the driving-wheels, a double rackconnected with said double clutch and reversing-gear and adapted by itsmovement in either direction to close the clutch for going ahead orbacking, a pinion connected to the clutch-operating lever to be rotatedthereby in one direction, and means for shifting said double rack tobring one side or the other into engagement with the pinion,substantially as shown and described.

32. In a motor-vehicle, the combination ofa double clutch andreversinggear between the motor and the driving-wheels, a double rackconnected with said double clutch andreversing-gear and adapted by itsmovement in either direction to close the clutch for going ahead orbacking, a pinion connected to the clutch-operating lever to be rotatedthereby in one direction,ineansforshiftingsaiddouble rack to bring oneside or the other into engagement with the pinion, and a plate securedto said double rack and having a slot with narrow end portions and awide middle portion to engage the shaft of said pinion, whereby the rackcan be shifted to bring one side or the other into engagement with thepinion only when the rack is in its middle position, whenboth sides ofthe clutch are open, substantially as shown and described.

33. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, aclutch-operating mechanism incl uding a lever,speed-changing mechanism including a lever adjacent to the first-namedlever, and an interlocking device cooperating with both of said leverswhereby the speedchanging lever can be operated only when thefirst-named lever is in its initial position and the clutch is open,substantially as shown and described.

34. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism including a lever,speed-changing mechanism including a lever adjacent to the first-namedlever, and a pivoted latch between said levers having on one sidenotches to correspond with the several positions of the speed-changinglever and on the other side a single notch to correspond with theinitial position of the clutch-lever, whereby said latch can release thespeedchanging lever only when the clutch-lever is in its initialposition, substantially as shown and described. 7

35. In a motor-vehicle, the combination of a clutch between the motorand the drivingwheels, clutch-operating mechanism, speedchangingmechanism, and an interlocking device cooperatin g with said mechanismswhereby the clntch can be applied only when the speed-changing mechanismis locked in driving position.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of October, A. D.1899.

HERBERT VANDERBEEK. In presence of-- M. L. CLARK, HERMANN F. OUNTZ.

